Word On The Street
Congratulations to Jim & Patti Van Dusen.
Their 1969 won a Celebrity Choice Award at
Corvettes at Carlisle 2008!!!
big smile for the camera, Jim
car show at Reid's Fine Foods/Green Market
click below to see short video clip (I hope)
see more photos on "Caught on Camera" page
Sergeant Todd C. Lontz, of the Charlotte Police Department
On May 14, 2008, Sergeant Todd C. Lontz, of the Charlotte Police Department, son of Norman & Joyce Lontz, received a Medal of Merit Award along with six other officers from the Southwest Service Area, at the CMPD Awards Ceremony.
Sergeant Lontz & Officer E. C. Herron went to the apartment of a murder suspect's mother, as they heard he might be headed there. They wanted to get the mother and the suspect's three children out of the apartment to safety before he arrived.
When Sergeant Lontz and Officer Herron arrived and approached the door, they were unaware that the suspect was already inside the apartment. The suspect fired shots through the front screen door, narrowly missing both officers.
Lontz & Herron called for assistance and, after the other officers arrived, the suspect finally surrendered approximately an hour later. His mother and his three children were unharmed.
Medal of Merit Awards were given to Sergeant Todd C. Lontz, Officer Katie Havens, Officer E. C. Herron, Officer James A. McCarty, Officer Darran E. Neely, Officer William A. Owens & Officer Scott Wiatrowski.
On behalf of the members of Generations Corvette Club, we thank Todd and all the Officers that he serves with.
Generations Corvette Club celebrates Speed Week during the May Meeting in a race fan’s dream!
Happy Birthday!
Lynn Tilley, Linda Roberts, Brenda Hudalla,
and Anthony Spina
Happy Anniversary !
Rich and Patti Spina
Ted and Patrice Northrup
Congratulations to Tom Hudalla who won the drawing of a crystal ice bucket and whiskey glass set
Thank you Debbie Rather for our Great New Name Tags!
Generations April Dinner and Cruise-In
In spite of the rain, Generations Shows over 15 cars at the
April Birthdays
Becky Steel,
Patti Black
Trivia Contest Winner:
Generations Corvette Club March Meeting and Dinner March Birthdays Big Ticket Winners Linda Keith, Evelyn Gearhart, Patti Spina-Corvette Hat Ken Watts and James Lemond Mark Curtis-Corvette Poster Chris Patton ________________________________________
Les Wandler's 1969 wins Second Flight at May 2008 NCRS event.
Congratulations to Jim Van Dusen and Dennis Haywood our winners at the 
On Sunday, March 16th, Fred McCoy arranged for a last-minute get together at the Sonic Burger on Independence Blvd in Indian Trail. Even though it was a spur of the moment thing, we had a great turnout and six new couples who attended expressed an interest in joining Generations. After eating, Fred led five Corvettes to Morrow Mountain. He took us on some winding back roads, we got to see some deer once in the Park, and the weather was great. The people that went were JC and Linda in their 2008, Mike and Craig in their 2007, Mike in his 1974, and our "leaders", Fred and Gloria, in their 2008.
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We would like to announce that some of our members have been meeting for lunch once a month during the work-week at different restaurant locations and would like to extend an open invitation to any Generations member. We presently have no predetermined day of the month, but we try to make the day of the month we pick as accessible as possible to the group. We also give each person of the group (on a rotating basis) their choice of restaurant where we will meet for lunch. If you're interested in joining us, please send an email to Mike Kulcsar at mkulcsar@carolina.rr.com, and I will add you to the lunch group's email list.
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As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2008, I marvel at the accomplishments that the Generations Corvette Club have made. With the launch of the club officially in late January, we as a group have already done so much and shared so many great times that I can’t believe we have been up and running for less than 2 months!
Our first drive to
By March we have reached over 3500 hits on our new website, and we have proudly displayed six members’ cars as the front-page featured car of the week. At last count, we have already had over 30 applications submitted for membership. By the end of this month alone, we will have displayed cars at a major local car show and had our cars photographed in front of the Biltmore Estate. At present, I am elated to report that every event has been at full capacity for seating and parking! We even had over 14 cars show up to a Sonic drive-in on a Sunday afternoon with less than 3 hours notice! At this one event, we “meeted and greeted” six new potential members as well as several people who are up for a membership vote at our next meeting. Not a bad first quarter!
I can not say enough about the fast-paced success of this club. One thing I will say is that it is all due to the membership’s direct involvement. It makes me very happy to see our members taking charge and carrying out tasks and responsibilities that culminate in creating the fun, yet well-organized, environment we intended. Everyone has helped shape a successful forum for enjoying our cars and each other.
I would like to thank all of you for assisting and offering aid with whatever was needed. In less than 2 months we have had members plan trips and dinners, write articles, volunteer for charity positions, edit website materials, set up and order name tags, take photographs, and show up to support each and every event.
As we start the second quarter of the year, I can only imagine the amount of fun and laughs to come. With a membership with the range of talents and generosity of spirit you have shown, our possibilities are endless! I encourage each and every one of you to step forward with your own unique ideas and add more events to the club calendar. Also, feel free to enhance any of the events that are already on the calendar by putting your own personal touches and experience to work for your fellow members. Your ideas are not up for review; they are only to be acted upon!
As Auto Fair quickly approaches in the second quarter, we are fast approaching our capacity of spaces. But with the great outpouring of participation in other events, we are more than capable of obtaining more spaces in this event. As our inaugural showing as a club at Auto Fair, nothing would make me happier than to have to make the call to my friends at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and tell them we need more spaces and tickets. So don’t hold back; shine them up and sign up!
Again, thank you and remember that you are encouraged to email me with any ideas, comments, or concerns that you may have and I will be sure to do what is necessary to help you carry out your plans.
Your proud President,
Generations Corvette Club
knows how to celebrate!
Inaugural Run Celebration
Big Ticket Winner
Bev and Tom Marron celebrate over 30 years together!
Our Birthday Boys of February
On Saturday, February 23, 2008, the Generations Corvette Club took its first inaugural road trip. Our destination was the Liberty Tap Room in Greenville, South Carolina. Twenty-four beautiful Corvettes rallied at the South Carolina Welcome Center on I-85. Everyone was given an envelope with a commemorative music CD for the First Inaugural Road Trip for the club and “citations” to put on any Corvettes we run into, inviting them to check out the club on our website. The caravan left the Welcome Center at 1:00 PM and headed for SC route 11, a scenic highway leading to the Cherokee Foothills Highway. The group stayed together for the most part with only a couple of separations at traffic lights and 4-way stops. As we passed one fenced-in front yard, there were three men standing beside a white Corvette with two other Vettes on the property. When they saw our caravan, they were all jumping up and down and waving to us. We definitely made their day! One driver was forced to make a pit stop for fuel, after running on an 1/8 of a tank for several miles…but he knew we wouldn’t leave him stranded like some folks did in Mexico (that’s another story)! We stopped at Pumpkin Town Opry, at the junction of SC11 and SC8, for a short break and snacks. Then off we were headed for Greenville on SC8 to SC183 and arrived in town about 40 minutes later. The Liberty Tap Room arranged for us to park the cars in their Valet Lot across the street. What a sight to see all of those colorful cars parked together. Everyone at the restaurant was very hospitable and the food was great. A cake was served at the end to celebrate a couple of birthdays and an anniversary. Everyone started home after dinner knowing they had great time with their cars, old friends and new friends.
Joyce Lontz
Charter Member
A Passion Comes Full Circle
by Melissa Patton
As we launch the start of this new club, I feel the need to reveal the seeds of invention for what prompted such an endeavor. The ideology and name of Generations Corvette Club start as far back as 22 years ago.
It all started when a 10 year old boy got a ride in a 1975 Corvette in the cove of the coupe. His father, with his Mac Davis hair style, and 8-track tape player playing “Another One Bites the Dust”, had just bought his first and only Corvette. The driver was Danny Patton, and the illegal rider in the cove was little Chris Patton. Here is where a passion transformed into an obsession.
Although Chris’ father did not keep his Corvette forever, the impression and impact it had on his youngest child is one that has lasted to this very day. Chris grew up water skiing, camping, and playing golf with his father but few memories are ever recalled of his father that does not lead right back to that 1975 Corvette. Chris enjoyed the camaraderie of his father’s friends that owned Corvettes, and he loved them all. His true first ride in a Corvette was in a ’74 green coupe that was owned by his dad’s friend Glen. This ride sparked the love of the greatest American Sports Car, but his father buying one sealed the addiction. This would become an addiction that would last the rest of Chris’ life and eventually be inherited by his own two daughters, Ashley and Savannah. How many 7 year old girls can tell you if a car is a C5 or C4?
The day Chris bought his own Corvette on December 31, 2005 was marked with joy and sadness, joy of finally obtaining a dream and sadness of not having his dad there to ride home in it with him due his passing in 2003 to liver cancer. Although absent in the car his presence, pride and happiness for his youngest son was definitely felt that day even over the arguing of Chris’ own girls as to who got to ride home in it first.
In some degree, this sense of sentimentality came to fruition for Chris over 20 years later when Danny’s friend Glen, who had given Chris his first ride in his green ‘74, came to visit us and Chris turned the keys over to him to take the coveted 40th Anniversary for a drive with Glen’s son Russ. It had all come full circle; Glen no longer owned a Corvette and his son Russ had a fixation for old Chevy trucks. But by the time the 40th rolled back into the garage, Glen was talking about Auto Fair and possibly buying another Corvette! Even Russ had to admit he finally understood the appeal and inability of his father to give up on getting another one.
So you see, being blessed enough to own a Corvette comes with great responsibility. We are all responsible for fostering the continuation of the love of this great car; this is not an exclusive right of the National Corvette Museum. Passing along the love of Corvettes is not done only by donation of money to a museum and the car manufacturer, it is done by owners that sacrificed to get the car and have worked to keep it in the forefront of car lovers everywhere.
As our girls polish and fight over whose Corvette gets driven (the white ‘95 which Savannah claimed and named “Flicka” or the ‘93 which Ashley claimed as her inheritance named “Sophia”), I can not help but feel that Chris has kept his end of the deal by introducing a new “Generation” to the Corvette. This is the dream and true catalyst for the newest Corvette Club in Charlotte, Generations Corvette Club. To Chris, there is no ugly Vette and fostering the love of any model year Corvette by any child or adult, regardless of age, is what this club was founded on. In keeping with this tradition, next time you see someone drooling over your car, whether they are in a stroller or pushing a walker, tell them about it, share your blessing and keep the dream of Corvette ownership and the continuation of an American Tradition alive.
